How to choose a playpen for your baby

There are several kinds of playpen available, so have a look at the different types listed below, to help you decide which will be best for you and for your home.

Wooden wonder

A popular playpen is the large, square wooden kind, with a flat wooden base and sides made of sturdy dowels. These are a generous size and will provide plenty of room for your baby – even a playmat and gym will go inside one.

Metal playpens

These playpens are very similar to the wooden ones except they are made from steel or aluminium. Typically they will last and last and are a great investment, especially if you will be having more children or want to pass it on to a friend/family member or sell it later on.

Plastic playpens

Plastic playpens often come in bright colours and in various sizes and shapes which can sometimes be used in different configurations. If you go for one of the largest sizes, be sure to measure your rooms first.

Versatile playpens

These playpens can be used in different configurations; you can use it as a classic pen, or you can unhook two of the panels and use it as a room divider or a fire guard.

How to use a playpen

Playpens are best used when your baby is awake and alert. They can spend time in it when they are tiny with a mat or play gym.

Be careful not to place anything in the playpen that could be a hazard, however. So there should be no strings or long pieces of fabric that she could get tangled in or get around her neck; there should also be no cushions or blocks, nor large toys that she could use to try to climb out the pen as she could fall and seriously injure herself.

What to look out for:

A strong construction that will outlast several babies

Easy to assemble and pack away

Foldable for easy storage

Versatile (if you need it to be), to protect from different kinds of hazard

Bars should be close enough together that your baby can’t get an arm or a leg stuck between them